For example, a glove box is provided in an instrument panel or the like of a motor vehicle, and a lid is installed in an opening portion in the glove box so as to be opened and closed. A lock apparatus is provided to lock the lid to be closed with respect to the opening portion of the glove box, and to unlock the lid to be opened.
For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a side lock apparatus including a retainer which is fixed to a rear side of a lid, a rotor which is supported rotatably on a rear surface of the retainer, a pair of rods which are coupled to point to symmetric positions of the rotor so that distal end portions thereof can appear from and disappear into both sides of the lid, a knob which is attached to a front side of the retainer so as to cause the rotor to rotate by being pushed/pulled, and a return spring which normally rotationally biases the rods in directions in which the rods project from both of the sides of the lid. When the knob is pushed/pulled, the rotor rotates against the return spring so that the rods are pulled inwardly of the lid.
Referring to FIG. 12 together, in such knob 1, a pair of support pieces 2 project from both sides of a distal end portion thereof. Each support piece 2 has a shaft hole. Pivot shafts project from both sides of the retainer, and these pivot shafts are inserted into the shaft holes 2a, respectively. Thus, the knob 1 is attached to the retainer so as to be rotatable about a rotating center C1. A presser element 3 is provided at a distal end portion of the knob 1 and at an inner side of one of the support pieces 2 so as to be aligned with the shaft hole 2a of the same support piece 2. Namely, when the knob 1 is viewed from a side, the presser element 3 and the shaft hole 2a are provided nearly on the same line. On the other hand, a bearing portion 5 projects from the rotor 4, and the presser element 3 is overlapped on this with a predetermined overlap width L. When the knob 1 is pulled as indicated by an imaginary line in FIG. 12, the presser element 3 presses on the bearing portion 5 of the rotor 4, and the rotor 4 rotates about a rotating center C2 against a biasing force of the return spring.